Uber and Lyft suspend service in Austin

[Ghost Bear]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/lyft-suspends-austin-service-uber-to-cut-off-servi/nrKBf/

As of 8 a.m. Monday, Uber joined Lyft in suspending service within the city limits of Austin.

Uber and Lyft drivers will still pick up passengers outside the city limits of Austin if their destination is also outside the city limits. As a result, the apps show that some Lyft and Uber drivers are still idling in the city.

(snip)

Nearly 56 percent of voters on Saturday rejected Proposition 1, a stunning defeat for Uber and Lyft, which had poured $8.6 million into the election. The results keep in place an ordinance that the City Council approved in December, which requires drivers with ride-hailing apps to undergo fingerprint-based background checks by Feb. 1, 2017, instead of using the name-based checks that Uber and Lyft prefer.

The city’s ordinance also prohibits drivers from stopping in traffic lanes for passenger drop-offs and pickups, requires “trade dress” to identify vehicles for hire, and imposes a variety of data reporting requirements on the ride-hailing companies.

(snip)


In my opinion it was the data reporting requirements that caused both companies to rebel, as much as anything else, but those requirements didn't get reported much in the media. Those requirements included things like keeping track of the racial make-up of their customers and drivers and which neighborhoods customers were being picked up from and dropped off at (to track whether the companies were favoring or avoiding "certain" neighborhoods). There were other data requirements too, but those were the ones that I remember being mentioned.

So anyway, another win for socialism over free enterprise in the People's Republic of Austin. 

[Frank Cannon]

I'm not sure I see a problem with local governments handling cab drivers in whatever way they see fit.

[Bigun]

I'm not sure I see a problem with local governments handling cab drivers in whatever way they see fit.

Public safety is the very first priority of government!

[Ghost Bear]

I'm not sure I see a problem with local governments handling cab drivers in whatever way they see fit.

I agree the city government had the power to regulate Uber and Lyft. I just believe it was stupid of the city government to exercise their power in the way they did.

[Ghost Bear]

Public safety is the very first priority of government!

There was no evidence that public safety was being harmed by the ride sharing companies. In fact, there was evidence from the Austin Police Department that the number of drunk-driving incidents in Austin had decreased sharply over the last few years, and (before the City Manager muzzled him) Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo suggested that the decrease may have been due to the presence of the ride sharing companies.

[Frank Cannon]

There was no evidence that public safety was being harmed by the ride sharing companies. In fact, there was evidence from the Austin Police Department that the number of drunk-driving incidents in Austin had decreased sharply over the last few years, and (before the City Manager muzzled him) Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo suggested that the decrease may have been due to the presence of the ride sharing companies.

I didn't say it was prudent, but it was voted on and the people who live there seem in favor of it. Personally, I have no interest in some moron driving me around in their rusty Datsun. I would rather have a professional moron drive me in their smelly yellow cab.

[sinkspur]

Taxicabs are actually more susceptible to crime than Uber drivers.  Uber drivers carry no cash and every ride is tracked by central GPS so no driver is ever off the grid.

Austin is one of the most congested cities in the US.  This is smart of Uber and Lyft, to let Austin experience even more gridlock and expensive cab rides.  This is just a resolution that passed and I suspect it will be overruled by the City Council, if for no other reason than to protect their sorry hides.

[Ghost Bear]

I didn't say it was prudent, but it was voted on and the people who live there seem in favor of it. Personally, I have no interest in some moron driving me around in their rusty Datsun. I would rather have a professional moron drive me in their smelly yellow cab.

I don't really understand why government approval carries more weight with you than a public ranking provided by customers, but to each his own.

[Bigun]

There was no evidence that public safety was being harmed by the ride sharing companies. In fact, there was evidence from the Austin Police Department that the number of drunk-driving incidents in Austin had decreased sharply over the last few years, and (before the City Manager muzzled him) Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo suggested that the decrease may have been due to the presence of the ride sharing companies.

Really!! I am aware of a number of convicted felons who have been outed in Houston who worked for Uber before the discoveries were made.

[Ghost Bear]

Really!! I am aware of a number of convicted felons who have been outed in Houston who worked for Uber before the discoveries were made.

In Austin they were able to show statistically that crimes committed by taxi cab drivers were more common than crimes committed by ride share drivers.

[Bigun]

In Austin they were able to show statistically that crimes committed by taxi cab drivers were more common than crimes committed by ride share drivers.

I either case I still think we have a right to know whether or not the drivers have criminal records.

[sinkspur]

I don't really understand why government approval carries more weight with you than a public ranking provided by customers, but to each his own.

Austin's a leftist city, far leftist.  And they'll protect their entrenched taxi union.  One can hope that those forced to take buses or drive their own cars now and add further congestion to the city will raise holy hell.

[sinkspur]

I either case I still think we have a right to know whether or not the drivers have criminal records.

Why?  Is your plumber required to tell you if the guy who fixes your air conditioner has a criminal record?  These are private companies.  You don't have to call Uber for a ride.  We seem to do OK up here in DFW with no fingerprinting and company-administered background checks.

[Bigun]

Why?  Is your plumber required to tell you if the guy who fixes your air conditioner has a criminal record?  These are private companies.  You don't have to call Uber for a ride.  We seem to do OK up here in DFW with no fingerprinting and company-administered background checks.

As far as I know you can't get a plumbing or air conditioning license in Texas without a full criminal background check and I will assure you that you cannot legally operate a business in either field without being fully bonded and insured!

[sinkspur]

This is a line in the sand.  If Uber and Lyft can make Austin back down, no other large city will try this.

[Sanguine]

I agree the city government had the power to regulate Uber and Lyft. I just believe it was stupid of the city government to exercise their power in the way they did.

Stupid is what the Austin City Council does best.

[Bigun]

This is a line in the sand.  If Uber and Lyft can make Austin back down, no other large city will try this.

The reason Uber and Lyft are pulling out of Austin is that they just lost an election there and lost it badly!

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/transportation/prop-1-undone-by-campaigns-underlying-motive-threa/nrJ27/

[sinkspur]

The reason Uber and Lyft are pulling out of Austin is that they just lost an election there and lost it badly!

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/transportation/prop-1-undone-by-campaigns-underlying-motive-threa/nrJ27/

THey lost it among those who voted.

I don't really care, Bigun. Those leftists can cool their heels waiting for a cab and paying exorbitant prices to get around town.  They deserve it.

Meanwhile, up here in DFW, we enjoy Uber and Lyft and choose to trust their own background check systems.  No rampant crime among Uber drivers up here.

[geronl]

I'm not sure I see a problem with local governments handling cab drivers in whatever way they see fit.

The taxi companies in Texas are usually big donors to city council members and they pretty much write the rules that freeze out competition.

[Bigun]

THey lost it among those who voted.

I don't really care, Bigun. Those leftists can cool their heels waiting for a cab and paying exorbitant prices to get around town.  They deserve it.

Meanwhile, up here in DFW, we enjoy Uber and Lyft and choose to trust their own background check systems.  No rampant crime among Uber drivers up here.

They are doing the same thing in Houston Sink and the net result will be an underground system with no controls at all!

[sinkspur]

They are doing the same thing in Houston Sink and the net result will be an underground system with no controls at all!

Let 'em. As I said, I don't care. I see Uber and Lyft are threatening to pull out of Houston too.

You said your plumber has to do background checks. Uber and Lyft do background checks.

This is the City of Austin forcing these two companies to submit and pay for city approved background checks.  Surely you're enough of a private sector guy to see this as nothing but government controlling a private entity.

[Bigun]

Let 'em. As I said, I don't care. I see Uber and Lyft are threatening to pull out of Houston too.

You said your plumber has to do background checks. Uber and Lyft do background checks.

This is the City of Austin forcing these two companies to submit and pay for city approved background checks.  Surely you're enough of a private sector guy to see this as nothing but government controlling a private entity.

Yes Sink!  I know exactly what's going on! 

[Ghost Bear]

Here is the link to the actual city ordinance passed in December, which the vote this past Saturday was trying to overturn:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/edims/document.cfm?id=245769  (the link is to a PDF file)

I point everyone's attention to the following sections in particular:

Sec. 13-2-511 (C) and Sec. 13-2-512, requiring the company to maintain an office with a representative in Austin;

Sec. 13-2-514 (B), which would prevent a rideshare company from raising fare rates during dangerous weather conditions;

Sec. 13-2-516, which requires the rideshare company to compile all kinds of data and report it to the city;

Sec. 13-2-517 in general, but particularly paragraph (D); most rideshare companies allow their drivers to refuse any potential customer for any reason, just as a customer may refuse any driver for any reason, but this paragraph creates a special class of customer that a driver can never refuse;

Sec. 13-2-521 (B), which requires a special vehicle inspection beyond normal state inspection requirements;

Sec. 13-2-529, which requires a special driver-training course beyond the normal state driver requirements;

And finally, Secs. 13-2-532, 13-2-533, and 13-2-534, which outline the new fees to be paid to the city by rideshare companies.

So you see, there were a lot of burdensome regulations and fees (taxes) contained in the ordinance, beyond the driver background checks usually reported in the media.